Man charged with felonies in multi-county crime spree

Published: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 2:59 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 2:59 p.m.

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office has charged a man with 27 counts, including larceny and breaking and entering, in relation to a crime spree that targeted construction sites, homes, businesses and motor vehicles in four counties and South Carolina.

At the beginning of April, Sheriff Charles McDonald formed the Directed Enforcement Unit. The goal of the unit is to identify and charge suspects committing breaking and enterings and larcenies in and around the county and reduce these crimes by 12 percent within one year.

Based on information and intelligence from officers and the community, agents within the unit targeted Byron Shane Ward, 42, as a person of interest in multiple breaking and enterings and larcenies, the Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in a news release.

“We have heard about him a lot and had a lot of intelligence about him,” said Maj. Frank Stout, adding that Ward is a “known criminal with an extensive record.”

Ward’s criminal record includes petty crimes that date back to 2005.

When the new unit began investigating Ward in April, Stout said they noticed his crimes extended beyond Henderson County. He said Ward has hit Walmart stores in Hendersonville, Asheville and Brevard, in some cases swiping items from a procurement list compiled by requests from his customers.

Someone would ask for a 50-inch-screen TV and “he’d go out to Walmart and steal one,” Stout said.

He added that it was hard to say how many larcenies Ward may be linked to, either through his own actions or the actions of his co-conspirators, but more charges are pending.

Agents have linked Ward to offenses in Henderson, Transylvania, Buncombe and Polk counties and across state lines into South Carolina, according to the release.

DEU agents worked in conjunction with detectives from other agencies and built a substantial case against Ward and many other co-conspirators, the release says.

Ward has been charged with:

--Three counts of felony larceny.

--Seven counts of felony breaking and entering.

--Three counts of felony obtain property by false pretense.

--Two counts of conspiracy.

--One felony count of possession of methamphetamine.

--One count of felony probation violation.

--One count of possession of stolen property.

--One count of misdemeanor breaking and entering.

--Two counts of misdemeanor larceny.

--Two counts of misdemeanor possession of stolen property.

--One misdemeanor count of damage to personal property.

--Two misdemeanor counts of trespassing.

--One misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Stout said Ward is a known “doper” and suspects some of the larcenies he is accused of might be related to drug use.

Ward was arrested last week without incident and was taken to the Henderson County Detention Facility in lieu of $102,500 bond.

Other arrests and charges against Ward and several co-conspirators are pending as the investigation continues, the release says.

Ward was convicted of felony breaking and entering on Oct. 4, 2010 in Polk County and speeding to elude arrest in Henderson County on Aug. 9, 2010. He was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison and was released on Feb. 10, 2012.

Other charges of breaking and entering vehicles, possession of burglary tools, attempted larceny and larceny of items valued over $1,000, for crimes committed between Jan. 16 and Jan. 23, 2010, were consolidated for judgment.

On Nov. 28, 2007, he was convicted of larceny of items over $1,000 and several other crimes, including larceny, breaking and entering vehicles and possession of stolen goods which were all consolidated for judgment. He was sentenced to serve eight months and was released in seven.

On Oct. 2, 2006, he was convicted in Henderson County of possessing a schedule 2 controlled substance – a drug category which includes methamphetamine – and was sentenced to serve four months.

In 2005, he was charged with multiple traffic offenses and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia. He was convicted of driving with a revoked license and served a little over a month in prison after his probation was revoked.

<p>The Henderson County Sheriff's Office has charged a man with 27 counts, including larceny and breaking and entering, in relation to a crime spree that targeted construction sites, homes, businesses and motor vehicles in four counties and South Carolina.</p><p>At the beginning of April, Sheriff Charles McDonald formed the Directed Enforcement Unit. The goal of the unit is to identify and charge suspects committing breaking and enterings and larcenies in and around the county and reduce these crimes by 12 percent within one year.</p><p>Based on information and intelligence from officers and the community, agents within the unit targeted Byron Shane Ward, 42, as a person of interest in multiple breaking and enterings and larcenies, the Sheriff's Office said Tuesday in a news release.</p><p>“We have heard about him a lot and had a lot of intelligence about him,” said Maj. Frank Stout, adding that Ward is a “known criminal with an extensive record.”</p><p>Ward's criminal record includes petty crimes that date back to 2005.</p><p>When the new unit began investigating Ward in April, Stout said they noticed his crimes extended beyond Henderson County. He said Ward has hit Walmart stores in Hendersonville, Asheville and Brevard, in some cases swiping items from a procurement list compiled by requests from his customers.</p><p>Someone would ask for a 50-inch-screen TV and “he'd go out to Walmart and steal one,” Stout said.</p><p>He added that it was hard to say how many larcenies Ward may be linked to, either through his own actions or the actions of his co-conspirators, but more charges are pending.</p><p>Agents have linked Ward to offenses in Henderson, Transylvania, Buncombe and Polk counties and across state lines into South Carolina, according to the release.</p><p>DEU agents worked in conjunction with detectives from other agencies and built a substantial case against Ward and many other co-conspirators, the release says.</p><p>Ward has been charged with:</p><p>--Three counts of felony larceny.</p><p>--Seven counts of felony breaking and entering.</p><p>--Three counts of felony obtain property by false pretense.</p><p>--Two counts of conspiracy.</p><p>--One felony count of possession of methamphetamine.</p><p>--One count of felony probation violation.</p><p>--One count of possession of stolen property.</p><p>--One count of misdemeanor breaking and entering.</p><p>--Two counts of misdemeanor larceny.</p><p>--Two counts of misdemeanor possession of stolen property.</p><p>--One misdemeanor count of damage to personal property.</p><p>--Two misdemeanor counts of trespassing.</p><p>--One misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.</p><p>Stout said Ward is a known “doper” and suspects some of the larcenies he is accused of might be related to drug use. </p><p>Ward was arrested last week without incident and was taken to the Henderson County Detention Facility in lieu of $102,500 bond.</p><p>Other arrests and charges against Ward and several co-conspirators are pending as the investigation continues, the release says. </p><p>Ward was convicted of felony breaking and entering on Oct. 4, 2010 in Polk County and speeding to elude arrest in Henderson County on Aug. 9, 2010. He was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison and was released on Feb. 10, 2012.</p><p>Other charges of breaking and entering vehicles, possession of burglary tools, attempted larceny and larceny of items valued over $1,000, for crimes committed between Jan. 16 and Jan. 23, 2010, were consolidated for judgment.</p><p>On Nov. 28, 2007, he was convicted of larceny of items over $1,000 and several other crimes, including larceny, breaking and entering vehicles and possession of stolen goods which were all consolidated for judgment. He was sentenced to serve eight months and was released in seven.</p><p>On Oct. 2, 2006, he was convicted in Henderson County of possessing a schedule 2 controlled substance – a drug category which includes methamphetamine – and was sentenced to serve four months.</p><p>In 2005, he was charged with multiple traffic offenses and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia. He was convicted of driving with a revoked license and served a little over a month in prison after his probation was revoked.</p>